Legal frame
Governing: D.M. 121/2005 arts 1-3 and 10-12 as rewritten by D.M. 227/2023. Builds on: Working on Yachts in Italy, L2.2.
One ladder, measured in kilowatts
Italy's professional yacht titles, the titoli professionali del diporto (professional pleasure-craft titles), run in parallel to the merchant certificates. On the engine side there are three rungs, and each is defined by the potenza di propulsione (propulsion power) of the main engines, not by tonnage or length.
| Title | STCW level | As chief engineer | Other capacities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ufficiale di macchina del diporto (UMD) | III/1, operational | Navi or imbarcazioni below 1,500 kW | Engineer below first on navi da diporto below 3,000 kW (art. 10(1)) |
| Capitano di macchina del diporto (CMD) | III/2 module, management | Imbarcazioni or navi below 3,000 kW | Primo ufficiale di macchina (second engineer) on any yacht (art. 11(1)) |
| Direttore di macchina del diporto (DMD) | Management | No power limit stated | Navi da diporto and charter-only ships (art. 12(1)) |
The phrase "below" matters. Art. 10 and art. 11 use inferiore a: an installation of exactly 1,500 kW is outside the UMD's chief-engineer limit, and exactly 3,000 kW is outside the CMD's.
Who the titles apply to
Art. 1 of D.M. 121 applies the regulation to:
- crew of imbarcazioni (10-24 m) and navi da diporto (over 24 m) used for charter;
- crew of the charter-only ships of L. 172/2003 art. 3 (Registro Internazionale);
- anyone who works on a nave da diporto, even a private one.
That last limb catches engineers on private Italian-flag superyachts, which D.Lgs. 71/2015 itself leaves outside STCW (art. 1(1)(c)). Holders must be enrolled in the matricole della gente di mare di prima categoria (the first-category seafarers' register) and carry a libretto di navigazione (seaman's book) (art. 3).
Reading the privileges literally
Three points need care, and each is flagged for confirmation:
- The UMD as junior engineer. Art. 10(1) lets the UMD sail below the chief only on navi below 3,000 kW. Read literally, a UMD cannot sign on as third engineer on a yacht of 3,000 kW or more, even under a direttore.
- Charter-only ships. Art. 12 names the Registro Internazionale charter ships; arts 10 and 11 name only imbarcazioni and navi da diporto. Whether a UMD or CMD may serve on an RI charter ship is not stated.
- No lower threshold. STCW requires engineer CoCs from 750 kW (regulation III/1). D.M. 121 sets no floor, so the UMD is the reference title even for small installations on navi da diporto.
CAUTION — Italian names, different jobs In Italian usage the primo ufficiale di macchina is the second engineer, the chief's deputy. It is not the "first engineer" in the loose English sense of the most senior engineer. The most senior engineer is the direttore di macchina.
How this relates to the merchant ladder
The merchant certificates under D.M. 25 Jul 2016 follow STCW III/1, III/2 and III/3, with the 750 kW and 3,000 kW breaks. The diporto ladder adds its own 1,500 kW break for the first rung, which has no merchant equivalent. Merchant holders convert across (art. 13, lesson 2.1); the reverse route is not provided.
For the technical syllabus, the competences are the ordinary STCW engineering ones. The French Engineering Titles course and the MCA library cover them; this course deals with the Italian legal wrapper.
Summary
- Three engine titles, set by main propulsion power: <1,500 kW, <3,000 kW, no limit.
- The titles apply on charter yachts, RI charter ships and all navi da diporto, private or not.
- Enrolment in the matricole and a libretto di navigazione are prerequisites.